AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage, flanked by advocates from across the state, marked Tuesday as the second annual Domestic Violence Awareness Day in Maine — one day before he was expected to unveil legislation aimed at strengthening state laws.
The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence welcomed to the State House several agencies and organizations whose mission is to bring awareness to domestic violence and provide services to victims.
“I wish I could say we don’t need their services, but we all know we do,” LePage said late Tuesday morning.
The governor has made domestic violence one of his signature causes this year and has called specifically on men, who he said make up 80 percent of abusers, to step up.
“Domestic violence is not an illness. It’s not a disease. It’s control. It’s all about control. And we don’t need to control the people we love,” he said.
LePage said he plans to introduce two bills and sign an executive order on Wednesday that address aspects of domestic violence, and he talked briefly about each on Tuesday.
The first bill would tackle bail conditions for those convicted of domestic violence and make it more difficult for abusers to be released from police custody. The second bill would make changes to the victims compensation fund. The executive order would explore the possibility of electronic monitoring of abusers.
The governor also plans to offer an amendment to a bill sponsored by House Minority Leader Emily Cain of Orono that creates a better risk assessment mechanism for the state to track an abuser’s threat to reoffend before he or she is released.
The governor’s legislation package will be added to handful of other bills submitted by lawmakers for discussion among members of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.
Julia Colpitts, director of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, said it was 40 years ago when women — and a few men — first brought the hidden epidemic of domestic violence into public view. Much has changed since then, she said, but the problem persists, putting greater pressure on organizations that provide resources.
“We’re not just against something,” she said. “We stand for something.”
Among the groups represented Tuesday at the State House were Spruce Run, the Family Violence Project, New Hope for Women, Next Step, Caring Unlimited and the Male Athletes Against Violence group at the University of Maine.
Roosevelt Boone, a former UMaine football player and member of Male Athletes Against Violence, said he agreed with the governor that it was unfortunate to be at the State House under such circumstances.
“I hate that I have to be here,” he said. “I hate that [domestic violence] is an issue.
Boone said the groups represented in Augusta do great work and need to continue educating, especially young people. He said adults and parents need to call out jokes, TV shows and music lyrics that demean women.
“I take this responsibility seriously,” he said.
Please continue the good work Govenor LePage
I agree. Too bad the liberals will flood these comments throwing around their usual spite and hate. It’s people like them that are ruining politics in this country and pushing us apart from finding solutions to problems.
How do you think you look when you say things like that?
Statistically, increasing poverty in society increases domestic abuse, and LePage’s policies increase poverty.
If only District Attorney Geoffrey Rushlau were not so lax on domestic violence, even blaming victims for their abuse and writing them letters to tell them they’re not victims at all. It seems odd that where LePage is so concerned about domestic violence, he would appoint someone who is so apathetic to the concept, DA Rushlau, to his judicial selection committee.
http://knox.villagesoup.com/news/story/domestic-violence-does-punishment-fit-the-crime/306551
I have seen situations where the victims contributed to the abuse. a woman gets the crap beat out of her, complains to the authorities and then begs the jerk to come home. Give me a break. Do it to me once, shame on you. do it to me twice, shame on me. The victims need to take some responsibility. How many times have I heard stories of the woman saying,”he’s changed. he says he won’t do it again.” and she’s stupid enough to believe it.
End Domestic Violence!
Nip it in the Bud!
The abused may some day end up as a heartless governor that throw’s disabled people out onto the street!
Your comment is disgusting.
Thanks
I don’t see anything disgusting. Just truthful
Ignorance is your virtue.
….
“It’s nursing homes, and the mentally ill. I’ll have to shut it down,” LePage said during a speech at the Fort Kent senior center.
When members of the audience protested, Lepage became agitated and accused an elderly woman of being from another planet.
Lepage wouldn’t speak to reporters afterwards to explain his abusive behavior. Instead he sent Adrienne Bennett out to defend him. She claimed the old folks in the audience where picking on him and deliberately “pushing his buttons” and that is why he verbally assaulted the elderly audience..
Lepage was roundly booed and canceled his next two visits to nursing homes.
All you lefties have to work on is hate don’t you? Unfortunately you folks are the worst sort of hypocrites, you preach “diversity” and “non-violence” and then you use hate speech and vitriol to demonize anyone who you disagree with.
Don’t try to argue with the silly progressives, they only like free speech and a diversity of opinion when it’s in agreement with their views. They run this country down and go full bore crazy on anyone trying to make changes that they disagree with. Moderation and calm discussion are not in their prog playbook.
You expect “liberals” to talk civilly but you defend Paul Lepage after he terrorized and verby assaulted a room full of elderly people.
Show me the video, show me ONE quote from someone there that says he “terrorized and assaulted a room full of old people”. Your a sad person.
I know this is pointless but still I’m glad you asked.
http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/19571/Default.aspx
yes, just like Moderation and calm discussion are things LePage practices.
Why are you screaming at me? Lepage is the sadistic jerk who assaulted a room full of elderly folks up in Fort Kent and then after he ran away he had to hide behind Adrienne Bennett skirt like the cowardly bully he is.
….
It seems to me threatening to threw the old people out on the street is a pretty hateful.
The governor blames his inappropriate comments on his background. I can’t stand the man but he has done well for himself. time to grow up and learn to act like an adult. one can’t blame his bad childhood for his behavior the rest of his life.
I’m pretty sure Paul Lepage is a sociopath. This web site list the symptoms and lepage fits them to a T.
http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html
Whenever you make decisions that affect people, there will be ill feelings no matter what. Personally, I cannot stomach John Baldacci for all of the harm he did to Maine in his 8 years. He was a bully dictator that did exactly what he and his band of liberal elites wanted to do. He even drove a budget down our throats that was partisan and passed by democrats only. Hows that for representing ALL of the people of Maine. There were no checks and balances, he had absolute power and he used it and caused a lot of what LePage is now trying to fix. Maybe LePage says a few things that he shouldn’t say but you know what, them’s the breaks folks, he’s a lot better than his predecessor.
Baldacci’s last state budget was 5.8 billion and it was balanced. Paul Lepage’s current state budget is 6.3 billion and Lepage wants an additional 1/4 of a billion in state spending to be cost shifted onto local property tax payers and hospitals.
Budgeted by not paying the bills, selling the liquor revenue stream, and paying current FY expenses in the next FY. Stupidity was well practiced in that administration.
So now your trying to tell us that Baldacci’s budget was too small even though the Republican’s screamed like a slapped pig that the Democrats where spending too much money?
You want to have it both ways. You cry about excessive government spending but as soon as your in power you increase spending by 3/4 of a billion and that isn’t including the money still owed to the hospitals from the last Republican administration.
What I am saying if you took the time to read it which you obviously did not is that Baldacci said he balanced the budget but it was balanced by not paying bills and “pushing” expenses into the next fiscal year. LePage is working to reduce the budget and guess who is screaming, the democrats.
Republicans had access to the same budget numbers that Baldacci used. Back in 2008 they said 5.3 billion was too much money and now your claiming Baldy’s budget was too small?? That doesn’t even pass the laugh test. Today Lepage has 6.3 billion to run this state and he can’t even make that work.
How come LePage won’t see any of the abused victoms? He don’t don’t really care hes made his life.
I would think that most abuse victims would not want their name/picture in the paper for fear of retaliation from their abusers. Also, the couple of women that I do know who’ve been abused, don’t really like everyone else in their life knowing about it – there are a lot of stereotyping they try to avoid. Sorry, you weren’t very clear, did that answer your question?
There are very few times that I find myself wanting to say something good about Paul Richard LePage. However this is one thing I praise the Governor for showing leadership on. The State of Maine needs to become number one in our Nation in the fight against domestic violence. Good work Governor.
The Domestic Violence Industry is radical feminism and the State working
together to destroy the US Constitution and Due Process Rights for men. Sad to
see LePage selling out to these Cultural Marxists in exchange for democrat’s
support for his unpopular economic plans. Too bad people don’t see this for
what it truly is. Either way, the people lose. This is all a fraud and a
Trojan horse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzfEzXY-Erg
YAAAAAHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO how much does this cost LEPAGE or do you want eo hide that from us
I have read all the comments and find it sad that it seems people are not happy with both sides of the aisle in Augusta working TOGETHER to end domestic abuse. Geesh, get a life people!
Violence is not always used to control someone. Sometimes it is the laws in place.
The person who files the protection order, or files first, gets control.
That is why I think there should be at least another witness involved before a judge should be able to sign a protection order.